Rondae Hollis-Jefferson

Rondae Jaquan Hollis-Jefferson (born January 3, 1995) is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Hollis-Jefferson with Brooklyn in 2018
Free agent
PositionSmall forward
Personal information
Born (1995-01-03) January 3, 1995
Chester, Pennsylvania
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight217 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolChester (Chester, Pennsylvania)
CollegeArizona (2013–2015)
NBA draft2015 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23rd overall
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers
Playing career2015–present
Career history
2015–2019Brooklyn Nets
2019–2020Toronto Raptors
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Early life and high school career
Hollis-Jefferson in the 2013 McDonald's All-American Boys Game

Hollis-Jefferson was born and raised in Chester, Pennsylvania, the son of Rylanda Hollis, a single mother who worked two jobs as a dietary supervisor and bartender. He grew up with older brother Rahlir, who also became a professional basketball player. Their father was frequently absent and spent some time in jail.[1] Hollis-Jefferson began honing his game when he was 12.[2] At a young age he took a strong interest in defense and acknowledged that he scored only because he was taller than his peers.[1]

He attended Chester High School where he began an outstanding basketball career under head coach Larry Yarbray. The small forward became the first player to ever be named Delaware County Player of the Year for multiple seasons.[3] He was also instrumental in Chester's first-ever undefeated season. The Clippers finished 91–5 in his last three years at the school and won two state titles.[4] In his senior year, he lost in the state title game to Lower Merion.[2] He finished his career with more than 1,000 points and a school-record 780 rebounds.[4]

Hollis-Jefferson participated in the 2013 McDonald's All-American Game against future Arizona teammate, Aaron Gordon.[5] Following the event, he took part in the Jordan Brand Classic with some of the most highly recruited high school stars in the nation such as Julius Randle.[6] At the conclusion of Hollis-Jefferson's years with the Clippers, he was tabbed the 6th best small forward of his class by 247Sports.com and the fifth best by Rivals.com. He eventually chose to attend the University of Arizona and represent the school through their successful basketball program over other possibilities such as Florida and Syracuse.[7]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
SF		 Chester Chester High School 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 212 lb (96 kg) Sep 13, 2012 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:

College career
Hollis-Jefferson playing for Arizona in March 2014

In his freshman season with Arizona, Hollis-Jefferson became known as fierce scorer, rebounder, and shot-blocker despite his relatively small size. The start of his season was marked with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists against Cal Poly off the bench. He posted his first double-double in a game against Oregon.[8] He improved on his free throw shooting as his freshman year progressed. Throughout the season, Hollis-Jefferson mainly functioned as the team's sixth man, but became a starter after Brandon Ashley was lost for the season with a foot injury in the Wildcats' 60-58 upset loss to California on February 1.[2] Hollis-Jefferson ended up starting 6 of 38 games played due to the roster that was dominated by the likes of Aaron Gordon, but still got his name on the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.[8] In his freshman year, Hollis-Jefferson averaged 9.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.[4] "It's a lot different than just waking up, going to school and playing basketball for Chester," said Hollis-Jefferson of his freshman year. "In the beginning of the season, I was lost. But it's not about who's starting, it's about who finishes. It stuck with me for about a month or so, playing behind people. I went along with it and kept playing. I need to make people respect my shot. I know I can shoot it. I have to stay in attack mode."[2]

As a sophomore, Hollis-Jefferson increased his averages to 11.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He improved in his leadership and offense.[4] As a sophomore, he was voted first-team All-Pac-12, and was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.[9] He helped lead the Wildcats to two consecutive Elite Eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, losing to Wisconsin on both occasions. On April 7, 2015, Hollis-Jefferson declared for the 2015 NBA draft, forgoing his final two years of college eligibility. "I don't know if I've enjoyed coaching a player more than I've enjoyed coaching Rondae," coach Sean Miller said.[10]

Awards and honors
  • NCAA Tournament West Region All-Tournament Team (2015)
  • First-team All-Pac-12 (2015)
  • Pac-12 All-Tournament Team (2015)
  • Pac-12 All-Defensive Team (2015)
  • Pac-12 Player of the Week (2015)
  • Pac-12 All-Freshman Team (2014)
  • Maui Invitational All-Tournament Team (2014)[11]

Professional career

Brooklyn Nets (2015–2019)

On June 25, 2015, Hollis-Jefferson was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 23rd overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. His draft rights, along with Steve Blake, were subsequently traded to the Brooklyn Nets for Mason Plumlee and the draft rights to the 41st overall pick, Pat Connaughton.[12] On July 6, 2015, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Nets.[13] He made his debut for the Nets in their season opener on October 28, 2015, recording eight points and five rebounds off the bench in a 115–100 loss to the Chicago Bulls.[14] On November 20, he had a season-best game with 13 points and 11 rebounds as a starter in a loss to the Boston Celtics.[15] On December 7, he was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture of the posterior talus in his right ankle, an injury requiring surgery[16] and eight to ten weeks of rehabilitation.[17] He returned to action in late March.[18]

On November 12, 2016, Hollis-Jefferson scored a then career-high 20 points and tied a career high with 13 rebounds in a 122–104 win over the Phoenix Suns.[19]

On December 14, 2017, Hollis-Jefferson scored a career-high 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting in a 111–104 loss to the New York Knicks.[20] He strained his right groin during a 116–91 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on January 26, returning to action on February 26 against the Chicago Bulls after missing the Nets' previous 11 games.[21]

Hollis-Jefferson missed the first three games of the 2018–19 season with a hip injury and the birth of his first child.[22] On November 28, 2018, in a 101–91 loss to the Utah Jazz, Hollis-Jefferson had 14 points and a season-high 11 rebounds for his first double-double.[23] On March 19, 2019, he made a layup with eight-tenths of a second remaining to lift the Nets to a 123–121 win over the Sacramento Kings.[24][25]

On June 17, the Nets opted not to make Hollis-Jefferson a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Toronto Raptors (2019–2020)

On July 18, 2019, Hollis-Jefferson signed with the defending champion, Toronto Raptors.[26]

Minnesota Timberwolves (2020)*

On December 3, 2020, Hollis-Jefferson signed a non-guaranteed preseason contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves.[27] He was waived by the Timberwolves shortly after he signed on December 19, 2020.

Player profile

Hollis-Jefferson plays both forward positions. Using his athleticism and 7-foot-2-inch (2.18 m) wingspan, he is part of the NBA trend of undersized power forwards.[28]

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2015–16 Brooklyn 291721.2.457.286.7125.31.51.3.65.8
2016–17 Brooklyn 785022.6.434.224.7515.82.01.1.68.7
2017–18 Brooklyn 685928.2.472.241.7886.82.51.0.713.9
2018–19 Brooklyn 592120.9.411.184.6455.31.6.7.58.9
2019–20 Toronto 60618.7.471.130.7344.71.8.8.47.0
Career 29415322.6.448.213.7385.61.9.9.59.3

Playoffs
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019 Brooklyn 4015.5.4851.000.8003.01.5.31.313.3
2020 Toronto 507.8.400.000.7502.0.6.4.22.8
Career 9011.2.465.500.7882.41.0.3.77.4

College
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2013–14 Arizona 38625.3.490.200.6825.71.4.71.19.1
2014–15 Arizona 382528.7.502.207.7076.81.51.1.811.2
Career 763127.0.496.205.6976.31.5.9.910.2

References
  1. Boivin, Paola (March 25, 2014). "Arizona's Hollis-Jefferson knows all about sacrifice". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  2. Santoliquito, Joseph (March 16, 2014). "Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's game is no act". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  3. Chandik, Matt. "Daily Times Player of the Year: Despite setback, Chester's Rondae Jefferson should be proud". DelcoTimes.com. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  4. Cox, Danny (March 23, 2015). "Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Brings Arizona In The Sweet 16 With Talent And Leadership". CBS. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  5. Zimmerman, Kevin. "Aaron Gordon is 2013 McDonald's All-American MVP, Rondae Jefferson makes unconfirmed history". AZDesertsWarm.com. SBNation.com. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  6. Breen, Matt. "Chester's Rondae Jefferson named to Jordan Brand Classic". Philly.com. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  7. "Rondae Hollis-Jefferson -Yahoo! Sports". Rivals. Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  8. "Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Bio". ArizonaWildcats.com. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
  9. "2014-15 Pac-12 Conference Men's Basketball Honors" (Press release). Pac-12. March 9, 2015. Archived from the original on March 9, 2015.
  10. "Hollis-Jefferson leaving Arizona, declares for NBA Draft". Fox Sports. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  11. ARIZONA WILDCATS 2014 EA SPORTS MAUI INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONS
  12. "NETS ACQUIRE RONDAE HOLLIS-JEFFERSON AND STEVE BLAKE". NBA.com. June 25, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  13. "NETS SIGN RONDAE HOLLIS-JEFFERSON". NBA.com. July 6, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  14. "Bulls beat Nets 115-100 for 2-0 start". NBA.com. October 28, 2015. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  15. "Rondae Hollis-Jefferson 2015-16 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  16. "Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Medical Update". NBA.com. December 7, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  17. "Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Medical Update". NBA.com. December 9, 2015. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  18. "Batum scores 23 points, Hornets beat Nets 105-100". NBA.com. March 22, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2016.
  19. "Nets finish strong, beat Suns 122-104 for first road win". ESPN.com. November 12, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  20. "Knicks hold on to beat Nets after Porzingis leaves". ESPN.com. December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
  21. "Crabbe scores 21, Nets top Bulls 104-87 to snap 8-game skid". ESPN.com. February 26, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  22. "Russell, Harris lead Nets past winless Cavaliers 102-86". ESPN.com. October 24, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2018.
  23. "Mitchell returns, carries Jazz to 101-91 victory over Nets". ESPN.com. November 28, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  24. "Nets, down 25 in 4th, storm back to shock Kings". ESPN.com. March 19, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  25. Dowd, Tom (March 20, 2019). "RONDAE HOLLIS-JEFFERSON DELIVERS GAME-WINNER TO LIFT BROOKLYN NETS". NBA.com. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  26. "Raptors Sign Rondae Hollis-Jefferson". NBA.com. July 18, 2019.
  27. "Timberwolves sign Rondae Hollis-Jefferson". NBA.com. December 3, 2020.
  28. Fonseca, Bryan. "Rondae becoming a fixture at power forward". SBNation. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017.
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